Page 39 of All the Dangerous Things

And then there was my girl. She was something I’d never expected.

Tatiana drove me crazy in ways I loved and hated. Her fearlessness pissed me off because it put her in danger, but the fact that she was so determined to do whatever the hell she wanted had my cock harder than granite.

She knew I was a killer. She’d witnessed it firsthand. Her unrelenting fear and desire for me made me want her more than I’d ever wanted anything else.

It was as if she saw me as something more than the cold-hearted, bloodthirsty killer I was. And, fucking hell, that made me want her in a way that consumed the fuck out of me.

Tatiana Petrov could very well have been the most dangerous thing I’d ever faced in my life.

But dammit all to hell… I couldn’t stay away.

I turned away from the window and clenched my hands into vicious, painful fists.

My breathing was becoming frantic, so I closed my eyes and steadied myself. I had never been the type of man to let emotions impede me. In fact, I didn’t feel shit, not unless I was making sure my family was safe and protected or keeping my empire whole and on top.

I was cold and always fucking calculating. I hadn’t been weak since I was a child and my father was beating the shit out of me. Yet, here I was, questioning everything. And it was because of a little Russian goddess who was the most beautiful creature I’d seen in my life.

One thing was certain: I couldn’t keep myself from her. Not now. Not ever.

But for now, I had to focus on one other thing, tunneling my vision and thoughts until they were only on that one task.

What I had to do tonight.

With a frustrated sigh, I grabbed the whiskey bottle and took a hearty swig from it, the amber liquid burning as it slid down to my gut, since I was no longer numb after tasting my sweet girl.She was like an elixir, her presence instantly sobering,bringing me into the light even while we played in the dark.

I downed the rest of the bottle, tossed it in the trash can, and headed to the bedroom to get ready.

I knew where Maksim was and how long he was going to be there. I knew how many fuckers I had to take out to get to him.

And tonight, I’d once again be the killer Tatiana had seen just a week ago.

I would be starting a war within our family if it was found out that I was the one who ended up intervening with Tatiana without telling her brothers… and soon, that I was the one who slaughtered Maksim.

Fuck.

16

GIO

It was three in the morning.

The perfect time to murder someone.

I’d parked a block away in an old beater truck I’d taken from one of the auto body shops I owned in New York. The shittier the car, the less notice I’d draw.

Every streetlamp was either burned out or barely casted a muted-yellow glow along the deserted alleyways and sidewalks of Desolation.

I saw the occasional tweaker or junkie stumbling around, mumbling to themselves before moving on to find their next fix.

I was in killer mode, with Carmine's orders echoing in my head.

One of my men told me Maksim and two otherBratva members were at an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. My source said they’d gotten an arms shipment in and would be there for the next three hours as they inventoried their delivery and set up distribution.

When I saw the warehouse, I checked the two weapons I brought with me one last time and focused myself even more. The chamber of the gun was ready, and I made sure the silencer was in place, sliding it into its custom holster at the small of my back, and covered it with my black jacket. My hunting knife was strapped in between my boot and ankle, hidden by my black pants.

I preferred the latter weapon because it was more personal, but tonight, I needed things to move quickly.

I kept to the shadows as I approached the warehouse, my senses on high alert, my breathing even, my heart rate steady. The dilapidated building loomed before me, its structure a decaying testament to another time.

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